The Sum of All Kisses

TSOAK was an autobuy and Julia Quinn did not disappoint. Vastly entertaining and I rank this to be the best of Smythe-Smiths Quartet series so far since I'm a fan of HR fluff with angst & character development. Hugh, the mathematical genius was the reason (leaving off from ANLT). As a beta male, fiercely independent, mysterious & complex as his character was, I was drawn to him. He doesn't feel the need to say much and "notices everything and forgets nothing". Being paired off with a...drama queen, Sarah heightens my curiosity further. Sarah is a bit selfish but i get her. However, she's fiercely loyal, clever & notices things too ..especially being observant to those who are sneaky (which i admired the way JQ points this out about her "narrowing eyes"). First, in ANLT: Sarah senses why her cousin Daniel was eager to see his young cousins, to check out the gorgeous governess, Ann Wynter! Second, in TSOAK, being acutely attuned with her sisters: Frances & Harriet, indirectly matchmaking her w/ Hugh. How Hugh & Sarah first met was a laugh out loud moment. They're both quite vocal about their strong dislike for each other...especially Sarah. Being in each other company during the two weddings, time eventually transforms their mutual dislike to attraction/ lust then love.The supporting characters: Pleinsworth sisters were a tremendous treat! Very real, like how annoying sisters can be but love them all the same. My only complaint was Hugh & Sarah new found love could have been more elaborate towards the end. Nonetheless, kudos to JQ for creating these two engaging characters for each other. Can't wait for the 4th S-SQ to be released!From TSOAK: "It was the way he looks at a person, unwavering and sometimes unnerving. It lent him an air of intensity that was difficult to ignore. And his mouth---he rarely smiled, or rather rarely smiled at her , but there was something rather wry about it. She supposed some people might not find that attractive, but she...Did." Heck, I did! That's hot & their moment scenes when they're falling for each other...took my breath away.

(Original review at doingsomereading)I've been waiting for this story for so long I think I totally forgot about it! I'm super happy it's finally here and I got to revisit some past characters and even more; other characters from other books! (well, kind of) We got to see, well more like referred to, Eloisa Jame's Hero and Lady from her latest Once Upon a Tower in a very funny scene. Plus one of the unmarried Bridgerton boys made an appearance!!!But okay back to business...Hugh the second son of the Marquess of Ramsgate was one secondary character I've been waiting for since we first meet him in book two in A Night Like This and referred to in book one, Just Like Heaven. And we first met Sarah in book one and two.But man, Hugh. He gave me a huge impression in ANLT even if we only got to know his personality or character for a mere second every so chapter and most definitely towards the end of that book, I was hook. I can say Julia didn't disappoint me in his story and gosh, he had so much going for him that I had to do an all nighter just to finish this book! He had so much depth and character I didn't even know if it was the same man I met in book two. I'm not sure if I was disappointed in this but I loved him either way. I just love how he thinks and come up with retorts and sorts!The story about his family background just touched me. His love for his elder brother Freddie and the memory of his mother was just so touching to me that I just couldn't help but want more to know more about his brother and hope for many things to bring light to his problems. I am super glad that it developed throughout the book and solved mysteries behind the way he is and so much more but I really did want more. I really do want a story for his brother. That was one of the very first thing that caught me as I opened up this book.Sarah. I'm not sure how to put it but I really liked her in the two previous books. I really did. She had humor and spunk. But in this one, she wasn't what I thought her to be. Not that I didn't like her Do. I absolutely do. I saw myself in her as she bantered with Hugh, though her actions were questionable, ever tactic thrown her way, every query Hugh threw at her I saw myself countering it and smiling at every answer she gave and threw back at him. She was just so much fun. And her sisters. I absolutely adore her sisters! They were so much fun to read and they were the ones to drive the story forward for me. All the funny little tactics and banters, the cute childish complaints and how Francis and Huge are just so adorable together~ Oh I love her the most!Cons: The ending seemed rushed. Especially their romance and quick to discover love for one another. It was just.... not what I wanted. I was disappointed in this. I also didn't quite enjoy were how much Hugh's leg was a problem for him. I love him but everything always came down to his injured leg. It's understandable but always referring back to was just to much of a repetition for me. And then there was Sarah's change of character towards the end of the book. I was pretty sure I didn't find her to my liking then. I was, annoyed? Sure she was dramatic at the beginning and I was fine with that but she was ever even more dramatic and selfish, irrational towards the end. I was furiously mad at her for not understanding Hugh's reason in saving her cousin's life. Furious! Did she not have brains! I thought. I mean you hated him then fell in love and you expected his to just throw your very own first cousin to the dogs for saving him in such a way unimaginable! Agh~ And Freddie, I was sad we only got to see little bits of him. Maybe even disappointed towards the end? Trying not to spoil it but he wasn't there. But yes, the ending was rushed. It was nice but super rushed. And I was hoping for their relationship to have developed more but that didn't happen.Over all, I did like this story and enjoyed it very much. It was fun, hilarious, touching, angry mad, and just sweet. Julia Quinn lovers would love it not matter what Just like me, but I did want more. We know for sure Iris is next in line for her story, most likely, with a new hero, but I really want to see Freddie have his story told too. Hopefully we get that if many readers write it into her *wink wink*I give this 4 out of 5

You know when you take a long Break from reading and you just get back into it and you think why did I love this so much and the you find that perfect book and it's like oh yeah this is why I read is historical romances as much as I do. And this was that kind of book I mean it was funny it was so good. Julie Quinn is just phenomenal and her writing. There are times when you have writers and they just write the exact same character over and over and over again. You can read it from every different angle and its thiel the exact same guy in a difference in the area with a different name and the same girl. But Julie Queen I mean it's like her characters are living and breathing. You are like this person is a real person. This is what Samuel would do in a real scenario. It's so amazing she is so amazing. I have nothing but good things to say about this book. And I never ever give 4 stars. But this book deserved it. On to the next!

I love this book - it’s very dramatic! There is danger and wandering in the night and lots of wedding adventures. A fun read!

I loved this book—the third one in the series. It was passionate, funny, and romantic. Hugh and Sarah are the perfect couple and despite their flaws, find happiness with each other. It was certainly steamy with the romance and I enjoyed the scene where they danced under the stars despite Hugh’s injured leg. It was so, so sweet and cute. Really good book!

A dynamic full of laughter escapade in the Smyth’s-Smith quartet world. A truly Julia a Quinn novel of romantically nonsensical bliss.

As the third in the series, I must admit that it is my favourite, so far. I was expecting much from this and I wasn't disappointed at all. The infamous Hugh, who had been mentioned in the previous two books and also appeared in the second, finally finds his unexpected happy ending in the most unlikely of women. Because Hugh and Sarah detest each other, for different reasons. But they don't really know each other and they soon discover that their first impressions had been wrong and they really are perfectly matched. Of course, nothing can go quite that easy so there is drama and danger, also, but in the end they confess their love and can be happily together. I really loved that Hugh, undoubtedly the one that paid the highest price because of the duel, finally found his happiness and a woman who truly loved him and that also Sarah found a man capable of challenging her dramatic nature and still love her. Perfect

'The Sum of All Kisses' is a corker of a story from the 'Smythe-Smith Quartet' series by Julia Quinn.Lord Hugh Prentice, the ertswhile 'villain of the peace' in the first two books, now has his turn at taking centre stage, and what a lovely and entertaining story this is. Lady Sarah Pleinsworth, a Smythe-Smith cousin, views Sir Hugh as her actual enemy and takes her opportunity to let him know how she really feels. From here, what begins as a mutual loathing, develops into a captivating and wonderful romantic tale.I found this book to be very witty, engaging, endearing and also pulled at my heartstrings more than once. Another thoroughly absorbing and brilliantly entertaining book by this author. Ms Quinn's characters are so likeable, genuine and feel real, and I couldn't help reading with a big smile on my face.

... drei ... Bücher des Smythe-Smith-Quartetts habe ich jetzt (nicht zum ersten Mal) gelesen, und Hughs Vater spielte immer eine gewisse Rolle. Allerdings nie in dem Ausmaß wie logischerweise in diesem. Auch wenn man sich wünschte, er würde einfach nicht mehr auftauchen, ist es doch die Frage, was er im vierten Band macht... 🤔Manchmal bedrückend, manchmal witzig, immer lesenswert!

Gosto muito da Julia Quinn. Adorei esse livro. Não tem grandes aventuras mas fala de uma história de amor, como vai nascendo entre pessoas que não vão com a cara uma da outra.